by Roger Hurn
‘Come on,’ said Ritchie. ‘Let’s follow them and see what they’re up to.’
‘All right, but don’t let’s get too close.’
‘No problem, I know what I’m doing. I’ve seen hundreds of spy movies.’
Lizzie closed her eyes in exasperation.
‘Joke,’ said Ritchie. ‘Now hurry up or we’ll lose them.’
They moved into the carnival crowds taking care to keep a sensible distance behind their quarries while still keeping them in sight. Yet, if they’d only taken the trouble to look up instead of straight ahead they would have seen the raven that flew in silent circles above them.
Mr Davies and Miss Carter were walking arm in arm when Miss Carter suddenly jerked Mr Davies to a halt outside Madame Saskia’s tent. She pointed at the sign but he shook his head vigorously. Miss Carter laughed and, ignoring his protests, she dragged him inside and pulled the tent flap closed behind her.
‘Why am I not surprised?’ Ritchie said to his sister.
Lizzie looked thoughtful. ‘What are you saying now? That Madame Saskia is the Hooded Lady?’
‘Stands to reason she is and I bet she’s giving those two a right rollicking for messing up.’
Lizzie was still unsure. ‘So who’s Miss Carter then?’
‘Obviously she’s an accomplice. She seems to have the hots for the Piper so that’s why she’s helping him.’
Lizzie nodded in agreement. ‘You could be right.’ Then she heard a cawing sound and looked up. There, perched on the roof of Madame Saskia’s tent, was the raven. Lizzie nudged her brother’s arm and pointed at the bird. ‘And that just about clinches it, I reckon.’
***
Chapter Thirty-One
Both children nearly jumped out of their skins when a soft voice behind them said, ’Not thinking of having your fortunes told again are you?’
They spun round to find Rona standing there smiling at them.
‘Err… no,’ said Ritchie. ‘We were on our way to find you actually. You know, so we could have that freebie ride on the ghost train.’
Rona upped the mega wattage of her smile. ‘Then it’s a good thing I bumped into you. Jed’s closed the ride for essential maintenance.’
‘Oh right,’ said Lizzie pretending to be disappointed. ‘Well, we’d better be off home then. Thanks anyway.’
Rona winked at her. ‘Don’t be in such a rush. The essential maintenance stuff is just an excuse so Jed can have a break. He’s had screaming kids driving him mad all afternoon. But he’ll let you guys have a test ride if I ask him nicely.’ She looked at them quizzically. ‘That is if you’re still up for it?’
‘You bet we are.’ Ritchie was terrified that Mr Davies, Miss Carter and Madame Saskia would come out of the tent at any moment and see them. ‘Lead on, Rona. I can’t wait to kick ghost butt.’
Rona led the two children across the carnival to the ghost train. The cars were sitting idle on the rails and there was a sign propped up in the window of the box office proclaiming that the attraction was shut for repairs. Rona ignored this and barged through the door without knocking. Her cousin Jed was lounging on a chair with his feet propped up on the desk. At the sight of Rona, he unwound his lanky frame and pushed himself up out of his seat. Ritchie peered over Rona’s shoulder and could see that Jed was still wearing his bandana, leather jacket, oily jeans and biker boots – only the wrap around mirror shades had gone.
Jed stretched like a cat and yawned.
‘You’re a lazy so and so and no mistake,’ said Rona. ‘Well, break-time’s over Mr Sleepy Head, I want you to give my friends here a little ride on the ghost train.’ She jerked her thumb at Lizzie and Ritchie.
Jed’s gold tooth flashed as he smiled. ‘Got a couple of right little thrill seekers here, have you cousin? Well, I’m sure the ride won’t disappoint.’ He eased past Rona and made his way to the first car and opened the door. ‘Hop in, kids. And make sure you hold on tight – it’s going to be a bumpy trip into the land of ghoulies and ghosties and long-leggedy beasties and things that scream in the night.’
‘It’s things that go bump in the night,’ said Lizzie as she settled in next to her brother.
‘Is it really?’ murmured Jed. ‘Well, you learn something new everyday.’
‘That’s true,’ said Rona cheerfully as she slid into the seat behind. ‘You know, Jed, I could be wrong but when I met Ritchie and Lizzie a few moments ago they looked to me like they’d just stumbled onto a big scary secret.’ She leaned forward until her head was between theirs. ‘What was it, guys? What was it you learned?’ Then she giggled and began to speak in a sepulchral voice like a witch in a horror movie. ‘Tell me now before we travel into the land of darkness and demons for we may never return and then it will be too late.’
Neither of them answered but sat stock still and staring straight ahead. But even in her unnerved state, Lizzie couldn’t help but notice that Rona was wearing a strangely bittersweet perfume. It reminded her of something but she couldn’t think what.
‘Oh stop winding them up, Rona. They want to get on with the ride, don’t you kids?’ Jed grinned good-naturedly at them as he scratched at the stubble on his chin.
‘Sorry, guys,’ said Rona in her normal voice. ‘I was just trying to create some atmosphere.’
‘No worries,’ said Ritchie weakly.
‘Then we’re good to go,’ said Jed. ‘Have a nightmarish journey and a hauntingly horrible time.’ He stepped back smartly and disappeared inside the control room. The car lurched forward into the dark mouth of the tunnel. An eerie, disembodied voice cackled out from a concealed speaker warning of the horrors to come. Then the voice dissolved into a ghastly chuckle as the car rattled on into the darkness.
***
Chapter Thirty-Two
At first the ride was nothing out of the ordinary. Fake cobwebs brushed against their faces and plastic skeletons painted with garish fluorescent paint popped up at every turn. There were the usual tableaux of grisly scenes and backlit projections of spectres. Funereal organ music, screams and rattling chains provided the soundtrack to the ride.
‘Scared, Ritchie?’ Rona lips were only inches from Ritchie’s ear.
Ritchie felt his heart flip and he shifted to face her. ‘Nah, this is kid’s stuff.’
Little sparks of light danced in Rona’s sapphire eyes. ‘You’re so right, my dove, so let’s switch to grown up stuff.’
The car screeched to a halt and the thunderous music was cut off in mid chord. For a second all was silent then there came the sound of flapping wings and the raven swept out of the shadows to perch on the rail of the car. It bent forward and pecked at Ritchie.
‘Now stop that, my sweetest darling,’ said Rona firmly. ‘There’s no need to be jealous of the half-life boy. He’s far less pretty than you and certainly nowhere near as intelligent.’
The children were stunned. ‘You can’t be the Hooded Lady. That’s Madame Saskia.’ Ritchie sounded as if he was on the verge of tears.
Rona laughed. ‘What that fat old fraud? No, my love, I told you she was a fake the first day we met.’
‘But what about Mr Davies and Miss Carter? What were they doing going into her tent?’
Rona frowned. ‘Oh, you mean that preening oaf who was playing the part of the Piper and the ridiculous girl who was slobbering over him.’ She shrugged dismissively. ‘I’ve no idea, but my guess is that your Miss Carter was hoping Madame Saskia would tell them they were the perfect couple and that they would marry and have a pretty house with lots of little brats and live happily ever after.’ Her eyes narrowed and her voice was thick with contempt. ‘There are lots of women who want things like that. I am not one of them.’
‘I should have known it,’ said Lizzie. ‘When I smelt your perfume just now I knew it reminded me of something. Now I know what it is. It’s the smell of deadly nightshade. It grows in the woods near our house. Mum told me it some people call it belladonna. And that’s your time scent, isn’t
it?’
Rona smiled and raised her beautifully manicured eyebrows, but didn’t answer.
Then Jed stepped into the pool of light surrounding the car. ‘That’s right,’ he said. ‘She’s the Lady Celandine and I am the Piper.’ He made a mocking bow. ‘Though let’s not stand on ceremony, you can call me Bogan.’
As quick as thought a knife appeared in Bogan’s hand. His youthful face hardened and he suddenly looked years older.
‘Sorry to be a killjoy folks,’ he said, ‘but the ride’s over. Now out you get.’
Celandine slid gracefully out of the car and stood by Bogan’s side. The raven jabbed its heavy beak at Lizzie and Ritchie to encourage them to move more quickly as they climbed reluctantly out onto the track.
‘That’s the ticket,’ said Bogan. ‘Now step this way.’ He led them off the track and over to the black-painted wall where a small door was concealed. ‘It’s one of the emergency exits,’ he said conversationally. ‘It leads us into the House of Mirrors. Which is handy because that’s where we want to go.’
‘Why?’ said Lizzie.
Bogan grinned his wolfish grin. ‘Oh, little Lizzie, it looks like it’s my turn to teach you something. We’re going to the House of Mirrors because that’s where the infinity mirror is.’
‘What the heck’s an infinity mirror?’ asked Ritchie.
‘It’s a device for travelling through space and time.’ Celandine said this as lightly as if she was chatting about her favourite brand of lipstick. She reached out and patted Lizzie on the shoulder. ‘I can see you look a little disbelievingly at me, Lizzie but I’m not boasting, my love. It really does work. But, of course you know that. I mean I wouldn’t be here if it didn’t.’ Celandine shot Bogan a hard look before continuing. ‘You see, Bogan’s skill with the pipe isn’t always 100% reliable so I had to find another means of moving safely between the worlds. Then, thankfully, I was fortunate enough to inherit the infinity mirror.’ She sighed wistfully as if the memory of how it came into her possession brought her sadness. ‘But that’s another story and one which I doubt you’ll have time to hear.’
‘Why?’ Lizzie stared at Celandine. The fear this beautiful young girl inspired was gnawing at her like a rat. ‘What are you going to do with us?’
‘Find out where you’ve hidden the two brats who escaped from Elfhame and then give you a magical mystery tour in the infinity mirror.’ Celandine smiled sweetly. ‘I’m sure we can send you to a dimension that will be scary enough even for Ritchie.’
***
Chapter Thirty-Three
Bogan shoved Ritchie and Lizzie through the emergency exit and they stumbled along a short connecting tube. At the far end, Bogan opened another door that led into one of the corridors in the House of Mirrors. Their reflections from the mirrored walls twisted into all manner of fantastic and comical shapes but neither Ritchie nor Lizzie felt like laughing. Bogan led them all through the maze and they came to the last room.
‘The game draws to its close,’ said Celandine. ‘All that remains is for you to tell me what I want to know.’
‘Which is?’ asked Lizzie.
‘Where the Francheville brats are and how they travelled to your time.’
‘You can ask all you like, Celandine. We’re saying nothing.’ Ritchie folded his arms across his chest and did his best to look resolute.
Celandine nodded. ‘Fair enough, Ritchie. I should have known you’d be more than a match for me.’ She gave a long drawn out sign of defeat. Hope leapt up in Ritchie’s heart but then a cruel smile burned across Celandine’s face. ‘No, only kidding, my love. I’ll break you like a butterfly and crush you under my foot.’ Her words lashed like a scorpion’s sting.
‘Try it!’ Ritchie spat defiance at her. He was angry with himself for having fallen under her spell so easily and his wounded pride was fuelling his courage.
Celandine clapped her hands together in glee. ‘Oh, a challenge! I do so love a challenge.’ She turned to Bogan who was learning against the wall idly cleaning his fingernails with his knife.
‘Bogan, my sweet, do be an angel and throw young Miss Lizzie into the infinity mirror. We’ll send her to the demon dimension. They’ll have such fun tearing the flesh from her bones.’
Bogan grinned nastily. ‘OK,’ he said. ‘It’s just a pity we won’t be able to hear her screams. Though we’ll be able to watch.’ He poked Ritchie in the chest. ‘You like horror movies, don’t you Ritchie? Only this won’t be a movie – it’ll be for real.’
‘No,’ gasped Ritchie. ‘Please don’t do it.’
Celandine’s eyes held all the humanity of the two jewels of sapphire they so resembled. ‘So tell me what I want to know, Ritchie and maybe I’ll spare your sister.’
Ritchie’s face crumpled and his shoulders slumped. He looked like a toy broken by a spiteful child.
‘Chin up, Ritchie,’ said Lizzie. ‘She’s no intention of sparing me. She’s going to get rid of us whatever we do.’ She sneered at Celandine. ‘At least we can have the pleasure of telling her she’s lost.’
Celandine cocked her head. ‘What do you mean? I haven’t lost. I never lose.’
‘Well you have this time,’ Ritchie blurted out. ‘That tramp you and Bogan saved me from wasn’t a tramp at all. He was …’
‘Captain Ezra Silverspear, of CM Squad 9, Albion Division.’ said Celandine finishing the sentence for him.
She looked bored but Bogan spat on the floor at the mention of the blood’s name.
Ritchie and Lizzie were crestfallen. ‘You knew all along,’ said Lizzie.
Celandine nodded. ‘When I first saw you at the carnival with those two bumpkins in tow I knew something had gone very wrong. They were like fish out of water and they reeked of time scent. I guessed it wouldn’t be long before some flatfoot of a blood came blundering along after them and, sure enough, right on cue, the big cheese himself put in an appearance. Naturally, we couldn’t let him get his hands on you, especially after you’d burbled on about the Crystal Beast.’
‘So that’s why you helped me?’ said Ritchie.
‘Yep,’ said Bogan. ‘Only we weren’t so much helping as keeping you out of harm’s way until we were ready to deal with you ourselves.’ He chuckled but it was a mechanical sound with all the humour leached out of it. ‘By the way, did you like the little stunt we pulled with Madame Saskia’s crystal ball? You know it’s amazing what you can do with an infinity mirror. I bet that gave the old boot a fright – not to mention messing with your heads.’
Ritchie ignored him and spoke directly to Celandine.
‘But how come Ezra didn’t recognise you?’
Celandine pouted. ‘Why should he? It’s amazing what a change of hairstyle and colour can do to a girl’s looks. Our Time scent had faded and he was looking for Bogan, not a penniless student and a biker boy. Anyway, the poor dear was so puzzled by you and the Francheville whelps that he didn’t know if he was coming or going.’ She smiled indulgently. ‘You see the bloods are aptly named. Once they get on the trail of something they follow it and never lift up their heads to look around to see what isn’t right under their noses. So while Captain Ezra was off on his wild goose chase, Bogan was finally able to get what we came for.’
She reached inside the bag she wore slung over her shoulder and produced the pane of stained glass showing the Crystal Beast. She looked at Lizzie and her eyes shone with triumph. ‘So, you see my poor mistaken child, I haven’t lost after all – I’ve won.’
***
Chapter Thirty-Four
Ritchie laughed. ‘I can’t believe you, Rona. You’ve gone to all this trouble to steal the Francheville coat of arms. Why? It’s just a worthless piece of junk.’
Celandine drew herself up to her full height. A haughty, disdainful look appeared on her face. It suddenly occurred to Ritchie that he didn’t fancy her at all anymore.
‘My name is Lady Celandine – not Rona. Rona is a name for peasants.’
‘You said it,
’ muttered Ritchie under his breath.
Celandine ignored him and gazed fondly at the glass.
‘Anyway, you are wrong about the Crystal Beast. It was made by Aldair Greentree and he does not make junk.’
‘Who’s he when he’s at home?’ said Ritchie in an effort to undermine Celandine. However, his attempt had no visible effect.
‘Only the most skilled crystal smith who ever lived,’ answered Celandine. ‘That’s who.’ She gave him a withering stare before continuing. ‘Aldair had heard of the legend concerning the rainbow sands found on your island.’
Ritchie and Lizzie exchanged glances. ‘What? Do you mean the coloured sand at Alum Bay?’ asked Lizzie.
‘Yes, probably. Now please don’t interrupt me again.’ Celandine sounded like a short-tempered schoolteacher. ‘Well, Aldair believed he could use it to make glass so magical that his fame would live forever. ‘But, as it’s forbidden to travel between the worlds, Aldair could only dream of the wonders he might create.’ Celandine sighed and placed her hand to her forehead like an actress in a soap opera and, for a second, her eyes filled with shadows. Then she raised her head and the shadows were chased away by a cruel little smile.
‘Dreams are all very well but, as Aldair grew older, the desire to work with the sands grew like a tumour in his brain until, one day, it burst and the temptation overwhelmed him. He bribed a chronomage to let him slip through the cracks of dawn and dusk and enter into your world. He searched without success until he was befriended by a half-life who took him to the cliff where the fabled sands lay hidden. Aldair, in his gratitude, crafted this Crystal Beast and gave it to the half-life as a gift.’
Celandine paused for a moment and shook her head. ‘I don’t know why he did that. I would have just cut the half-life’s throat when he had served his purpose.’
‘Well, there’s a surprise.’ Lizzie looked at Celandine with disgust. Celandine smiled as if she found Lizzie’s disapproval amusing.